Conventionally, when manufacturing metal-hybrid composites, attachment of non-reactive fibers to metals is an important issue. For materials used at temperatures below 250° C., adhesives are readily available. For metal-hybrid composites being used at higher use temperatures, however, off-the-shelf adhesives are not generally satisfactory.
There are extensive publications concerning various methods of bonding reactive fibers to metals. The following publications, some of which disclose such methods, constitute background for the present invention: U.S. Pat. No. 6,698,645 B1, entitled ‘Method of Producing Fiber-Reinforced Metallic Building Components’; US 2008/0011756 A1, entitled ‘Liquid Tight Sealing of Heat-Insulating Walls of a Liquified Natural Gas Carrier’; U.S. Pat. No. 6,922,517 B2, entitled ‘Quickly Bonding Optical Fiber Anchor Device Permitting Fibers to Remain Linear’; U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,354,entitled ‘Method of Bonding Self-Lubricating Fibers to an External Surface of a Substratum’; EP 1 153 698 A1, entitled ‘Article Comprising Creep-Resistant and Stress-Reducing Solder’; US 2005/0039836 A1, entitled ‘Multi-Component Fibers, Fiber-Containing Materials Made from Multi-Component Fibers and Methods of Making the Fiber-Containing Materials’; and US 2007/0235126 A1, entitled ‘Bonding of Carbon-Carbon Composites Using Titanium Carbide’.